There was one crucial detail missing from this week's many profiles of Baroness Ashton, the EU's first high representative for common foreign and security policy.

Before she worked for CND or enrolled to study economics at Bedford College, or became director of Business in the Community, chairwoman of Hertfordshire Health Authority, a junior education minister, a peer, leader of the Lords or European Commissioner, long before any of that, Cathy Ashton was a pupil at Up Holland grammar school, just outside Wigan.

In 1977, Up Holland grammar became Winstanley College, a sixth-form college you may recognise as having ranked first in the Guardian's countrywide collation of A-level results, but which to me will always be a low-lying straggle of buildings, mainly built in the 1950s, where I spent some of the happiest times of my life.

In those days, our most famous alumnus, and a point of much pride, was Richard Ashcroft from the Verve. The years that followed would bring many more notable former students: the British 400m runner David Grindley, footballer Leon Osman and numerous Hollyoaks actors. And now, with considerable pride, we can add one more to that list: one of the most powerful women in the world.